Corn-harvesting machine.



No. 833,986. PATBNTED 00123, 1906.

W. H. TILSON.

001m HARVESTING MAOHINEL- APPLIOATION FILED OUT-4] 1905.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

$2507? lnventdr W MM Attorneys ruswamus Pin-Rs cm. wAaHmaroN. n. c.

PATENTED OCT. 23, 1906.

W. H. TILSQN. CORN HARVESTING MACHINE.

4 SHEETS-SHEET B.

APPLIOATION FILED OUT-4. 1905.

FIQ'ZZMmHJZ'ZMIZ I Inventor wyes Attorneys THE NORRIS FBTIR! ca,wAsmNc'mN, a c.

mfsssasa PATENTED 00123, 1906.

- w. H. TILSON.

001m HARVESTING MACHINE,

APPLIOATION FILED 0013.4. 1905.

4 SHEETS-SHEET s.

10 i Witn WZZZ'QMEZZ'ZJWZ Inventor v I V I Qw Attorneys 7": NORRISPzrlus ca, WASHINGTON, a 1i.

No. 833,986; PATENTED Q0123, 1906. W. H. TILSON.

CORN HARVESTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 0014,1905.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

Witnesses M'ZZZZUTZZZTZ'ZJ0I2 Inventor rut NORRIS l-rrlns 60., wnsumcnm,0. c4

Attorneys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CORN-HARVESTING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 23, 1906.

Application filed. October 4, 1905. Serial No. 281339- To all whom itmay concern:

Be it known that I, l/VILLIAM HENDERSON TILSON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Plainview, in the county of Hale and State of Texas,have invented a new and useful Corn Harvesting Machine, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to corn-harvesting machines of that class whichare provided with cutting apparatus for severing the stalks, withcarrying apparatus for conveying the stalks in a standing or uprightposition to the point of discharge, with binding apparatus for tying thestalks into bundles, and with bundle-carrying mechanism upon which thebundles may be accumulated until a sufficient quantity to form a shockof the desired size is supported upon the carrier, which latter may thenbe tripped, thereby depositing the bundles upon the ground, to besubsequently formed into a shock or conveyed to a temporarystorage-place, as desired.

Among the objects of the present invention are to improve and tosimplify the construction and operation of this class of machines; andwith these and other ends in view, which will readily appear as thenature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in theimproved construction and novel arran ement and combination of parts,which will be hereinafter fully de scribed, and particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferredform of the invention.

,In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a corn-harvestingmachine constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention,said view being made partly in section for the purpose of exposingsubjacent parts of the machine. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional viewtaken on the plane indicated by the line 2 2 in Fig 1. Fig. 3 is adetail plan view of a portion of the main frame of the machine, showingthe auxiliary slioing frame which supports one set of cutting mechanismand the means for adjusting said auxiliary frame. Fig. 4 is a verticalsectional detail view taken on the plane indicated by the line 4 4 inFig. 1 andshowing in elevation the bull-wheel of the machine and themechanism for ad justing the frame. Fig. 0 is a sectional detail .viewtaken on the plane indicated by the line 5 5 in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is asectional view taken on the line 6 6 in Fig. 1 and showing thegrainwheel and the means for adjusting the frame with relation thereto.Fig. 7 is a sectional detail view taken on the line 7 7 in Fig. 6. Fig.8 is a sectional detail view taken on the line 8 8 in Fig. 1. Fi 9 is adetail view illustrating the gearin whereby the upright shaft 17 of themovable gathering, guioln and cutting apparatus is connected with andadapted to receive motion from the main driving-shaft. Fig. 10 is adetail view in side elevation of the bundle-carrying mechanism.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are indicated throughout bysimilar characters of reference.

The machine of the present invention, as illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, is a two-row harvester, it being adapted to operatesimultaneously upon two rows of corn. Inasmuch as the rows of corn arenot always planted at the same distance apart, the distance usuallyvarying from thirty-six to forty-eight inches, provision is made for thelateral adjustment of one of the corn engaging and cutting mechanisms inorder that the machine may be set or gaged to engage rows of corn atvarious distances apart. To this end a main frame A is primarilyprovided, the same including the main cross-beams 1 2 and the main sidebeams 3 and 4, which are securely connected together, as may be plainlyseen in Figs. 1 and 3, it being understood with regard to the framestructure that it is to be composed mainly of structural iron or steeland that tubular beams and anglebars are to be employed in the mostadvantageous manner throughout the general structure, the preferredforms having been illustrated in the drawings.

The machine includes the relatively stationary cutting and gatheringapparatus B and the relatively movable cutting and gathering apparatusC, the only important difference between which resides in the fact thatthe former apparatus is stationary upon the main frame, while the latteris stationary upon a frame which is slidably supported upon the mainframe and which also constitutes a portion of the guiding apparatus. Theapparatus B includes longitudinal basebars 5 5 and 6 6, which arepermanently secured upon and extend forwardly from the front and rearmain beams 1 and 2 of the frame, the bars 5 5, which are the outer bars,being approximately parallel or slightly converging in a forwarddirection, whilethe in- I v ner bars 6 6 are diverged forwardly andconnected at their forward extremities with the forward extremities ofthe barsl5 5, thus forming the pointed divergent guides between whichthe cornstalks are guided to the cutting mechanism.

The apparatus C comprises the outer basebars 5 5 and the inner base-bars6 6, the general construction of which is identical to that of thebase-bars in the apparatus B; but the bars 5 5 and 6 6 instead of beingsecured upon the main frame are connected at and near their rear ends bycross-bars 7, 8, and 9, the first of which lies adjacent to the rearcrossbar 2 of the main frame, which latter is surrounded by clips 10 10,connected with the outer base-bars 5. The bars 8 and 9, which lieadjacent to the rear and front sides of the cross-bar 1, are connectedby means of pins 11, carrying rollers 12, which ride upon the beam 1,thus permitting the base of the apparatus 0 to travel laterally upon themain frame. The adjustment of the apparatus C is effected by means of ahand-lever 13, disposed within reach of the driver or operator andextending from a vertical shaft 14, having a crank 15, which isconnected by a link 16 with the cross-bar 8 of the apparatus C. N ospecific means have been shown for securing the lever 13 in adjustedposition; but such means are well k nogvn in the art and may be usedwhen desire Each of the devices B and C, both of which are practicallyof identical construction and the parts of which will therefore be designated by like numerals, includes an outer guide D and an inner guide E,the outer guides being those which are distant from the grain side ofthe machine, as will be readily understood. It will be observed thateach of the guides D and E includes what, has already been designated asan outer and an inner base-bar, the latter designation being withreference to the structures B and C individually.

Supported between the base-bars of the outer guides are upright shafts17, which are the main cutter-carrying shafts. Said shafts are supportednear their lower ends, as in bearings 18, supported either by thestationary or by the adjustable frame of the ma chine, as the case maybe. The shafts 17 are supported near their upper ends in bearings, as19, (best seen in Fig. 2 of the drawings,) said bearings being bracketedupon the inclined guide-bars 20, which are connected at their lowerfront ends with the points of the guides D and which serve in the usualman ner to support the gathering-chains, which will be presentlydescribed.

- Upon the shafts 17, near their lower ends, are supportedgathering-disks 21, consisting ofwheels having radially-extending spokes22, that extend across the space or path between the guides D and E.Each of the wheels or disks 21 is provided with a plurality of dependingbolts 23, the heads of which serve to support an annular cutting-disk24, having a beveled cutting edge 25, said outting-disk being spacedfrom the wheel or disk 21 by means of spacing-sleeves 26 upon the bolts23, which latter are equipped with tightening-nuts 27. The cutting-disksare supported directly above and adjacent to the horizontal planes ofthe base-bars of the devices B and O, and they are adapted to cooperatewith stationary cutters 28, suitably connected with and supported by thebasebars of the devices. Said stationary cutters have cutting edges 29,which are disposed obliquely, as shown, so that they will graduallyengage and partly sever the cornstalks, even before the latter areengaged by the rotary cutters, which have a shearing action withrelation to the stationary cutters, whereby the stalks will be severedvery easily and quickly and without requiring the exercise of muchpower.

Upon the shafts 17 a suitable distance above the gathering-disks 21 aresupported similar gathering-disks 30, having radial spokes 31, which,like the spokes of the disks 21, extend across the paths or passagesbetween the guides D and E.

Upon each of the shafts 17, near the upper ends of said shafts, there issupported a hub 32, having oppositely-extending radial arms 33 servingas trunnions, uponwhich there is pivotally supported a ring or annulus34-. A sprocket-wheel 35 is provided with parallel cross-bars 36, havingdiametrically opposite inwardly-extending trunnions 37, pivotallyengaging the ring 34, thus constituting a gimbal joint which permits thesprocketwheel to rotate in an inclined plane when the shaft whereby itis driven rotates upon an approximately vertical axis, its position whenin operation being practically parallel to the inclined guides 20, theelevated rear ends of which are to be supported in any suitable mannerby parts of the frame structure of the machine. Near the points of theinclined guide members 20 are supported sprocket-wheels 38 and idlers39, that serve, in conjunction with the sprocket-wheels 35, to supportthe gathering-chains 40, the links of which are provided at intervalswith fingers 41, extending into the path or passage between the guides Dand E. Each of the sprocket-wheels 35 is provided upon its upper sidewith radiallyextending spokes 42, which are sufliciently elevated abovethe rims of the sprocketwheels to prevent them from interfering with theoperation of the chains 40, and said spokes being extended across thepath or passage between the guides D and E to cooperate with thegathering-disks 21 and 30 and with the chain 40 in moving the cornstalksinto contact with the cutting apparatus and in a rearward directionafter being severed by the cutters.

The outer guides E E include inclined guide-bars 43, suitably supportedat their elevated rear ends and suitably connected at their front endswith the points of the base-bars of the inner guides. Suitable bearings,as 44, are provided for the lower ends of slightly-inclined orforwardly-tilted shafts 45, the upper ends of which are connected byuniversal joints, as 46, with stub-shafts 47, journaled in the inclinedguides 43, and each carrying a sprocket-wheel 48, which serves, inconnection with sprockets 49 and idlers 50 upon the inclined guides 43,to support the gathering-chains 51, the links of which are provided atintervals with fingers 52, adapted to extend into the paths between theguides D and E. It will thus be seen that the gathering-chains 40 and 51co- .operate to convey the corn entering between the guides in arearward direction and into engagement with the cutting apparatus andwith the spoked wheels upon the shafts 17.

Suitable bearings are provided in the frame for the main driving-shaft53, which is driven by the bull-wheel of the machine, as will behereinafter described. Said main shaft has a non-circular portion 54,which is in slidable engagement with bevel-pinions 55 (see Fig. 9) and56, meshing with bevel-pinions 57 and 58 near the lower ends of theshafts 17 and 45, respectively, which are included in the apparatusgenerally designated C, which is mounted slidably with relation to themain frame, it being obviously necessary that the transmission-wheels 5556 must be movable with said apparatus when the latter is adjusted toany of the different positions which it may occupy. The shafts 17 and 45of the stationary apparatus B are in like manner driven by bevel-pinions55 and 56, secured upon the circular portion of the main shaft 53 andmeshing with bevel-gears 57 and 58 upon the shafts 17 and 45 of theapparatus B. It is obvious that the drivinggears are so disposed thatthe inner leads of the gathering-chains 40 and 51 will be moved in arearward direction when the machine is in operation, as indicated bydarts in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The passages 59 between the guides D and E are continued rearwardly bymeans of approximately horizontal guide-rails, of which two sets areused, said sets being, respectively, supported upon the base-frames andupon the inclined guidemembers 20 and 43 of the devices B and C,respectively, and the lower guide-rails being disposed in the samevertical plane as the upper guide-rails. The

- lower guide-rails 60 and 61 and the upper guide-rails 62 and 63, whichare associated with the outer guides D of the devices B and C,respectively, are bent or curved laterally after extending across theannular knives or cutters upon the shafts 17 in such a manner as togradually push the severed cornstalks out of engagement with saidannular cutters as they are carried in a rearward di rection, thecarrying of the cornstalks being effected at this point by the spokesupon the wheels 21, 30, and 35, respectively, it being observed that thewheel 35, which is a sprocket-wheel, rotates in an inclined plane, sothat the spokes 42 associated therewith will tend to brush the tops orheads of the stalks in an upward direction, thereby facilitating theretention of thestalks in an upright position. The lower and upper rails64 and 65, associated with the inner guide E of the device B, areextended laterally in a di rection opposite to the guide-rails 60 and 62and are telescoped. with the guide-rails 61 and 63, which, like theguide-rails 64 and 65, are preferably constructed of angle-irons, whichnest together, as will be best seen in Fig. 1. The lower and upperguide-rails 66 and 67, which are associated with the inner guide E ofthe device C, are extended laterally approximately parallel to theguiderails 61 and 62. It will thus be seen that the guide-rails 61, 63,60, 62, 64, and 65 co6perate to form what may be described as one sidewall of a passage 68, communicating with the passages 59, and the otherside wall of which is formed by the guide-rails 66 and 67 in conjunctionwith guide-chains 69, that are supported upon sprocket-wheels 70 and 71upon a pair of upright shafts 72 and 73, supported for rotation in rearof the vertical plane in which the shafts 17 are located. Theguide-chains 69 are provided at intervals with fingers 74, extendingintothe passage 68, as will be readily seen in Fig. 1. It will also beclearly seen by reference to said figure that the cornstalks which aresevered by the cutting apparatus connected. with the device, C areconveyed standing through the passage 68 to the point where the latermerges with the passage 59 of the device B, from which point all thestalks coming from the two passages 59 are merged together and conveyed,still in an upright position, into a chute 75, extending in a rearwarddirection, as willbe clearly seen in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

Suitably mounted upon the frame of the machine is a guidetrough 76,(best seen in Fig. 2 of the drawings,) the side walls of which coincidewith the guide-rails and members combining to constitute the passage 68and which serves to support the butts of the stalks as the latter travelin the direction of their eventual point of discharge.

77 designates a frame-bar which is spaced from and disposedapproximately parallel to the side bar 4 of the main frame, said sidebar 4 being extended forwardly and rearwardly from the cross-bars 1 and2. The bar 77 has lateral extensions 78 79 at its front and rear ends,said extensions being connected with the front and rear ends of theframe-bar 4, the members 78 being also connected with one of theframe-bars 5, while the member 79 has a forwardly-extending terminal 80,which has been shown as being connected with the rear cross-bar 2 of themain frame. The frame-bars 4 and 77 support upon their opposite sides apair of segments 81, having slots 82, the upper edges of which have beenshown as provided with ratchet-teeth 83, the slots 82 being concentricwith the axis of the main shaft 53. 84 is the main drive-wheel orbull-wheel, which is mounted upon a short axle 85, that extends throughthe slots 82, and is provided with pinions 86, engaging the racks 81.These pinions are fixed upon the axle, while the bull-wheel is mountedto rotate freely thereon. Connected with the shaft 85 is a spur-wheel 87meshing with a pinion 88 upon a shaft 89, which is j ournaled in a link90, loosely connected with the shaft 85 and provided with a crank orhandle 91, whereby it may be manually rotated, thus causing the rotationof the spur-wheel 87, shaft 85, and pinions 86, which last named byengaging the racks 83 will effect the adjustment in an upward ordownward direction of said racks 83 and the frame with which they areconnected.

92 designates a link connecting the bullwheel-carrying shaft 85 with themain shaft 53 and serving to brace the two shafts and to space themequally apart in any position occupied by the former with relation tothe latter. The upper end of the link is bifurcated and is provided withan adjustable boxing 93 for the shaft 85, with which said boxing isforced into contact by means of a set-screw 94, operating through across-bar 95 at the bifurcated end of the link.

The bull-wheel carries a spur-wheel 96, which may be mounted securelyupon the spokes thereof and which meshes with a pinion 97, supported forrotation upon the shaft 53. The pinion 97 has a ratchet-face 98constituting a clutch member whicn is adapted to engage a pin 99,extending transversely through the shaft 53, when the machine moves in aforward direction. The pinion 97, or the hub of the latter, has an annular groove 100 engaged by the spiral or cam-shaped terminal 101 of alever 102, which is pivoted upon the frame within reach of the operatorand the purpose of which is to move the clutch-face of the pinion 97into and out of engagement with the pin 99 of the shaft 53, and thusthrowing said shaft and the parts driven thereby into or out ofoperation, as desired.

The tongue 103 of the machine is secured between a pair of plates 104,which are pivoted upon the frame-bar 77 upon a bolt or pin 105, thatextends throu h downward offsets 106 near the rear en s of said plates.The latter are provided with upward and rearward extending terminals107, connected by a pin or bolt 108, that extends through a slot 109 ina bell-crank lever 110, which is fulcrumed upon a pin 111, connectedwith and concentric with a rack-segment 112, secured upon the frame-bar77. Said segment is engaged by a spring-actuated stop 113, connectedwith the upwardly-extending arm of the bell-crank lever, which lattercarries an operating-handle 114 for the springactuated stop. It will bereadily seen that by manipulating the bell-crank lever 1 10, the plates104 may be adjusted so as to place the tongue at various angles in avertical plane with relation to the frame of the machine, thus enablingthe latter to be adjusted to raise or lower the points of the guides Dand E, according to the condition of the corn that is to be operatedupon.

The grain side of the frame is provided with an upright frame 115,affording bearing means for a vertically-movable slide 116, having arack 117 formed upon the face thereof, the slide 116 being provided witha spindle 118, upon which the grain-wheel 119 is journaled. The uprightframe is provided with bearings 120 for a shaft 121, having a pinion122, which is in constant engagement with the rack 117. The shaft 121isalso provided with a manually-operated crank 123, whereby it mayberotated for the purpose of bringing about any desired verticaladjustment of the grain end of the frame with relation to itssupporting-wheel 119.

The shaft 73, upon which are mounted the sprocket-wheels 71, which servein part to support the chains 69 of the carrying apparatus, is providedwith oppositely-extending cranks 124, located in different planes, aswill be best seen in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Pivotall connected withsaid cranks, from which t ey receive a gyratory motion, are packers 125,which are adapted to alternately sweep across the path or chute 75 forthe purpose of advancing the corn passing into and through said chuterearwardly in the latter in the direction of the compressor or trip 126,which obstructs the dischargeopening at the rear end of the chute.Supported in rear of the shaft-7 3 and at a suitable distance therefromis a shaft 127, adjacent to which bearings 128 are provided for links129, the free ends of which are connected with the packer-arms 125,which latter are thereby steadied. The shaft 127 carries knottingmechanism, conventionally illustrated at 130 and which cooperates with aneedle 131, carried by a vertical shaft 132, upon the opposite side ofthe chute 75, to tie the bundles of corn confined infront of thecompressor or trip 126.

These parts will be more fully described in a separate application forLetters Patent, and they are not claimed in the present application.

The packer-carrying shaft 7 3 is driven from the main shaft 53 by meansof an intervening shaft 136, provided upon the ends thereof withbevel-pinions 137 and 138, the former of which meshes with thebevel-gear 57 upon the shaft 17 of the device B, while the pinion 138meshes with a bevel-pinion 139 upon the shaft 7 3, near the lower end ofthe latter. It will here be noted that the cutters 24, connected withtheshafts 17, are made of annular shape in order that the bevelgears 57,near the lower ends of said shafts, may mesh with the pinions upon thedrivingshafts, and in the case of the shaft 17, associated with thedevice B, with the pinion 137 upon the shaft 136, through which rotarymotion is continuously imparted to the packer-carrying shaft 73 when themachine is in operation.

The bundle-carrier connected with the machine includes a shaft 146, oneend of which is journaled in a socket 147, having pivotal connectionwith the frame of the machine, said shaft having an additional supportin a sleeve 148 at one end of a lever 149, which is fulcru'med upon therear end of a link 150, the forward end of which is pivotally connectedwith one of the rear corners of the frame of the machine. The lower orrear end of the lever 149 is connected by means of alink 151, with abell-crank 152, pivoted upon the side of the frame, as at 153, andhaving an operating member 154, which extends upwardly within reach ofthe driver or operator, whose seat 155 is suitably supported upon theframe member 77 of the machine. The shaft 146 is provided withrearwardly-extending arms 156, adapted to support a number of bundles ofcorn, when the shaft 146 is supported in its normal position with thearms 156 extending in an upward and rearward direction, said shaft beingobviously retained in such supporting position when the end of thebell-crank 152, with which the link 151 is connected,is below thepivotal point or fulcrum of said bell-crank. To trip the bundlecarrier,it is only necessary to elevate the free end of the bell-crank, when thelever 149 will be tilted, with the obvious effect of tilting the shaftof the bundle-carrier, so as to discharge the bundles carried thereby.It will also be seen that the bundle-carrying shaft is not merelytilted, but that its free end is at the same time moved in a rearwarddirection to a position approximately indicated in dotted lines in Fig.10 of the drawings. An arm 157, which is secured to the rear frame-barand which extends rearwardly under the shaft 146, is thence extended inan upward direction to constitute a pusher, which will operate topositively discharge the bundles from the bundle-carrier, which latterhaving been relieved from the weight may be readlly restored to normalposition.

Extending rearwardly from the dischargechute are two spring members orresilient arms 160 and 161, the former of which is attached to the sidewhich is near the bull-wheel of the machine, while the latter isattached to the side distant from the bull wheel. These spring-arms aredisposed in different horizontal planes, the arm 161 being disposed orsupported quite a distance above the arm 160, the arms being curvedlaterally across each other, so that when a bundle leaves the chute itwill be guided by the two arms, but will at the same time be tilted bythe upper arm 161, so as to fall upon thearms of the bundle-carrier inthe proper direct1on that is, with the tops thrown outward and with thebutts in the direction of the grain side of the machine.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawingshereto annexed, the operation and advantages of this invention will bereadily understood by those skilled in the art to which it appertains.When the machine is drawn over the field, the frame is first adjusted bymeans of the lever 110, so as to set the points of the cornguidingdevices at the proper distance above the ground to effect the mostsatisfactory results. The entire frame is also adjusted vertically withrelation to the supporting-wheels by the means provided for the purpose.the machine advances the cornstalks will enter between the guides of thedevices B and C, which latter have previously been adjusted laterally bymeans of the hand-lever 13, so as to space the corn-guiding devicesproperly apart, according to the distance between the rows. The stalks,having been severed by the cutting devices, are carried by the mechanismprovided for the purpose to the chute 75, within which the packers 125operate to compress a quantity of stalks sufficient to form a bundlebetween the side walls of the chute and the movable gate 126. As soon asthe latter is partly tilted in a rearward direction by the accretion ofpressure the binding mechanism is set into motion and the bundle is tiedprior to being discharged onto the bundle-carrier, upon which it istilted in the proper direction by the combined action of the springs 160and 161. Immediately upon the discharge of a bundle the gate 126 is restored to normal position for a repetition of the operation, thetripping device including means for automatically restoring the gate,although this operation may be performed by an independent spring, as162, bearing against the arm 142 of the shaft 140. The bundle-carrier istripped at suitable intervals by the operator, as herein previouslydescribed.

loo

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed is- 1. A double-rowcorn-harvester including a main frame, an auxiliary frame supportedthereon for lateral adjustment a guiding gathering and cutting mechanismupon the main frame and one upon the adjustable frame, said mechanismsincluding guide-rails forming corn-passages and the proximateguide-rails of the two mechanisms being disposed in telescopingrelation.

2. A double-rovs corn-harvester including a main frame and an adjustableframe supported thereon having lateral movement, a guiding gathering andcutting mechanism, upon the main frame and one upon the adjustableframe, said mechanisms including guide-rails forming corn-passages andthe proximate guide-rails of the tWo mechanisms being disposed intelescopic relation; in combination With endless carrying meansconstituting one Wall of the passage, the other Wall of Which is formedmainly by the telescoping guide-rails.

3. A double-row corn-harvester including a main frame, an auxiliaryframe supported thereon for lateral adjustment, corn guiding gatheringand cutting means upon the tWo frames said guiding means including railsforming corn-passages and the proximate guide-rails of the tWomechanisms being disposed in telescopic relation; in combination Withendless carrying means constituting one Wall of a lateral passage theother Wall of Which is formed by the telescoping guiderails, arearwardly-extending chute communicating with the lateral passage andmeans for assisting the passage of cornstalks from the lateral passageinto the chute.

4. A double-row corn-harvester comprising a fixed cutting and gatheringapparatus,

beams supporting said apparatus, a movable cutting and atheringapparatus also mounted upon said beams and having rollers that operateupon one beam and clips that receive another beam.

5. A double-row corn-harvester comprising a fixed cutting and gatheringapparatus mounted upon beams, a movable cutting ing a fixed cutting andgathering apparatus and movable cutting and gathering apparatus, acorn-guiding passage located adjacent both of said apparatus, a chainmounted I for movement at one side of said passage, the other side ofsaid passage having telescoping Wall-sections.

8. A double-row corn-harvester comprising a fixed cutting and gatheringapparatus and a movable cutting and gathering apparatus, a corn-guidingpassage located adjacent to both of said cutting and gathering apparatusone side of said corn-guiding passage being formed by telescopic Walls.

9. A corn-harvester comprising a fixed cutting and gathering apparatusand a movable cutting and gathering apparatus, and a corn guidingpassage located adjacent to both of said cutting and gatheringapparatus, said corn-guiding passage being common to both of saidcutting and gathering apparatus irrespective to the position of themovable cutting and gathering apparatus one side of said corn-guidingpassage being provided With a moving chain.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixedmy signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM HENDERSON TILSON.

Witnesses:

L. LEE DYE, B. E. SEBASTIAN.

